System and methods for vehicle sharing

ABSTRACT

A system, apparatus and method for secure vehicle sharing comprising a computerized client device in the form of a mountable vehicle license plate frame (SLPF)  117  enabled for wireless communication and connection to a wide area network  101  including a server  103 . The SLPF  117  device has a processor with an instance of the software  105  executing from memory thereon, Global Positioning System (GPS) capability, power source, and a locking key compartment. The SLPF  117  device may be easily mounted, after market, to the vehicles of registered vehicle owners  107 . The server may track time of use, vehicle mileage and vehicle location while the vehicle renter is operating the vehicle. Upon completion of vehicle use, the renter replaces the key or other item in the locking compartment, sends notification of completion of use to the server which then completes a financial transaction between the renter and owner.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED DOCUMENTS

The present invention claims priority to a U.S. application Ser. No.15/575,936 filed on Nov. 21, 2017 which is a 371 of international patentPCT/US2016/037063 filed Jun. 10, 2016 and claims priority to provisionalpatent application Ser. No. 62/174,808 filed on Jun. 12, 2015 andentitled Smart License Plate Frame System Apparatus and Method for AutoSharing the disclosure of which is included herein at least byreference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention is in the field of electronic communicationsincluding network-hosted communications and pertains particularly tomethods and apparatus for communicating availability of and enablingaccess to a vehicle for rented or shared use.

BACKGROUND ART

Recent developments in the car rental market include business models tofacilitate personal car rental activity known as car sharing betweenprivate individuals, for example, a car owner providing the vehicle to auser who needs the car for a specified period of time. Otherdevelopments include car sharing models used by commercial rental andleasing companies. Customers that patronize a car sharing networktypically includes those customers that may have an “occasional” needfor a vehicle but do not own a vehicle and those customers who own avehicle but would like to have use of a vehicle of a different type suchas for a special event, occasion, or circumstance.

Existing car sharing networks are prolific and include businesses suchas Autolib’, City Car Club, Greenwheels, JustShareIt, Stadtmobil, GoCar,Zoom, OpenFleet, and Zipcar. Likewise, traditional car rental companiessuch as Hertz, Avis, Enterprise, and U-Haul rent and share vehicles.There are also cooperatives operating car share services where a club,company, or group of individuals owns the vehicle to be shared.

One challenge with current car sharing networks is that a host system,typically based on a communications network, is charged with providingan exact and repeatedly used “pickup” location for a vehicle to beshared such as at a vehicle parking spot in a designated parking area.One issue with this approach is that patrons don't always bring thevehicle back to the exact same location and the designated locations maynot always be available when the renter returns. Authorized access to ashared vehicle is typically accomplished through provision of a“keyless” car entry code to access the vehicle where the key is leftsomewhere inside the vehicle. In some current models, a third partyreceptionist may be required to pick up and drop off keys for sharedvehicles so as not to have them left in the vehicle when it isunattended.

Furthermore, many car share models are challenged by the occurrence of“unscheduled events” such as vehicle accidents or maintenance problemsor when a prior renter does not return the vehicle on time that may makea vehicle scheduled for sharing suddenly unavailable. Limits to serviceare also evident such as facilitating multiple car renters (more thanone) to “share” a specific rental contract where the vehicle is sharedamongst them during portions of the entire rental period.

Therefore, what is clearly needed in the art is a vehicle sharing systemthat overcomes the problems mentioned above and that provides servicesthat current models do not include.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A system, apparatus and method for secure vehicle sharing is describedand shown. The system includes a computerized server connected to a widearea network (WAN), the server executing software, having a userinterface, and accessible on the WAN. Users register as a vehicle owneror as a vehicle renter with the server and upload user profile data to adatabase accessible to the server, including at least identification andfinancial data. The system further comprises a computerized clientdevice in the form of a mountable vehicle license plate frame or smartlicense plate frame (SLPF) enabled for wireless communication andconnection to the WAN, the SLPF storing and executing an instance of thesoftware from memory. The SLPF has a mobile computerized securityhousing including a front surface, a back surface for securely mountingon an outside surface of the vehicle, a top, bottom, right and leftsides, an antenna for receiving wireless signals and enabling wirelesscommunication and tracking including near field communication (NFC),short-wave signals (such as BlueTooth), cellular network signals (GSM),and positioning system signals (GPS). The SLPF has a processor with aninstance of the software executing from memory thereon, GlobalPositioning System (GPS) capability, power source, and a lockingcompartment. The SLPF may be easily mounted, after market, to thevehicles of registered vehicle owners. The server receiving a requestfrom a registered vehicle renter to rent a vehicle accesses the databaseand matches the renters request to at least one registered vehicle ownerwith an available vehicle including the SLPF within a specifiedgeographic location specified by the vehicle renter and sends results ofthe matching to the vehicle renter's personal wireless communicationsdevice (which may be a smart phone or, in some instances may be a laptopor some other computerized device) to select a vehicle causing theserver to send the vehicle renter location data (including GPS data)enabling the vehicle renter to locate the selected vehicle, and securitydata to enable the vehicle renter to unlock the locking compartment ofthe housing and remove a key or other item to operate the vehicle. Theserver tracks at least time, vehicle mileage and vehicle location whilethe vehicle renter is operating the vehicle. Upon completion of vehicleuse, the vehicle renter replaces the key or other item in the lockingcompartment, sends notification of completion of use to the server andthe server completes a financial transaction between the vehicle renterand the vehicle owner.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an architectural overview of a communications networksupporting car sharing according to an embodiment of the presentinvention.

FIG. 2 is a front elevation view of a smart license plate frame (SLPF)according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a side elevation view of the SLPF of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a front elevation view of the SPLF of FIG. 2 with the framedoor and license plate removed.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a key compartment door for the keycompartment of FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is a side elevation view depicting the SLPF of FIG. 2 with theframe door and key compartment door open relative to closed or openstate.

FIG. 7 is a process flow chart depicting steps for registering for a carsharing service according to an aspect of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a process flow chart depicting steps for brokering a car sharetransaction in progress according to an aspect of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a process flow chart depicting steps for monitoring renteractivity during a car share event according to an aspect of the presentinvention.

FIG. 10 is a process flow chart depicting steps for opening and closingthe key compartment door for key insertion or removal according to anaspect of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

In various embodiments described in enabling detail herein, the inventorprovides a unique system and service that enables users to rent out orshare their vehicles in a manner not requiring third party assistance orrequiring a renter and owner to meet face-to-face. The present inventionis described using the following examples, which may describe more thanone relevant embodiment falling within the scope of the invention.

FIG. 1 is an architectural overview of a communications network 100supporting vehicle sharing according to an embodiment of the presentinvention. Communications network 100 includes a data communicationsnetwork depicted herein by a network backbone 101. Network backbone 101may include that of an Internet or Intranet network. Network backbone101 may include all of the lines, equipment, and access points making upthe Internet network including connected sub-networks. Therefore, thereare no geographical limits to the practice of the present invention. Inanother embodiment, backbone 101 may represent a wide area network(WAN), a municipal area network (MAN), or a local area network (LAN)without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. InFIG. 1, the WAN is connected with a Mobile Network which may beconsidered part of the extended WAN.

For the purposes of discussion, backbone 101 represents an Internetbackbone and supports a network server 103. Network server 103 may bemaintained by a first party service provider (SP) that may provide anapparatus, referring to a mobile computerized security housing which, inthis case, is in the form of a vehicle license frame and referred toherein as a “smart license plate frame” or “SLPF” 117 with a locking keycompartment, and a vehicle sharing brokering service (network based).Network 101 may be accessed via interfaces, nodes and routers, as isknown in the art. Network server 103 may be adapted to host a vehicleshare brokering web service that may be accessible to users through aweb page, via the Internet, or mobile application, via a mobile carriernetwork, enabling users to subscribe to the service. Server 103 may alsohost software (SW) 105. Software 105 may be adapted to managetransactions between users of the service. Service users may includevehicle “owners” of vehicles equipped with a registered SLPF 117 such asan owner 107 of a vehicle depicted herein as vehicle 116 parked in aparking spot 110. Service users also include vehicle “renters” such aspotential vehicle renters 112 (1-n) depicted herein. It is noted hereinthat a vehicle owner may rent vehicles in addition to renting out avehicle or vehicles. In other words, owners in some circumstances mayalso be renters and vice versa.

SW 105 may be adapted to register users to the vehicle sharing serviceof the invention. Registration may also include requiring users, such asrenters or owners, to download a mobile software application to theirpersonal wireless communications devices (for example, the user's smartphone) for enabling both owners and renters to interact with the systemfrom mobile locations. In this example, an owner 107 has a personalwireless communications device 108 hosting a mobile software application109. It is presumed in this example that owner 107 is the owner ofvehicle 116 parked in parking spot 110. SLPF 117 is, in this example, amobile computerized client device in the form of a mountable vehiclelicense plate frame which is easily mountable, after market, to thevehicle and which holds a mounted license plate of the vehicle. Whilethe mobile computerized client device 117 may in some embodiments be anafter-market easily mountable form which does not house a vehiclelicense plate, for purposes of this description the mobile computerizedclient device 117 is in the form of a vehicle license plate frame and istherefore referred to herein as a “smart license plate frame” ‘or SLPF.

SLPF 117 may include a power source, a processor, a memory for storingdata, and a wireless modem or transceiver for detecting andcommunicating with other wirelessly enabled communications devices suchas device 108 of owner 107. In this example, a wireless network 102represents a mobile communications carrier network enabling mobiledevice communication between devices 108, 113-115, 117 and server 103.The mobile communications carrier network may include any known mobilecommunication standard, for example, Global System for mobileCommunications (GSM) and Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA). SLPF 117may also be a network node having an IP address or mac address and maycommunicate with server 103 through the Internet. In alternativeexamples, device 108, 113, 114, and 115 may communication with SLPF 117directly using short range or near-field communication methods (such asthrough Bluetooth or NFC). It is noted herein that backbone 101represents all of the lines, equipment, and network access points thatmake up the WAN network, which may be the Internet network and thatmobile network 102 represents any wireless carrier network includingrelays, towers, and other like equipment used to receive and sendcommunications and data. One with skill in the art will appreciate thatmobile network 102 connects with and is therefore an extension of theWAN. Also, one will appreciate that communications from mobile devicesmay pass through bridging equipment available in network 102 and or onbackbone 101 including through data hubs, routers, communicationsbridging nodes, and the like.

SLPF 117 may include a lockable “key” compartment wherein a vehicle keyused to start or at least access vehicle 116 may be inserted by an ownerintending to rent the vehicle to a potential renter. In someembodiments, the key compartment may store an electronic key fob (FOB)used for activating remote keyless entry systems. SLPF 117 may includeglobal positioning system (GPS) location reporting capability so thatvehicle 116 may be tracked by the service of the invention from server103. SLPF 117 may include an antenna for receiving wireless and shortrange communications signals, GSM or other cellular signals and GPSsignals. It is also assumed herein that mobile communications devices108 (owner), and mobile communications devices 113, 114, and 115(potential renters 112 (1-n) are GPS enabled as is typical for smartphones and similar wireless communications devices. In one embodiment ofthe system, the GPS location of the vehicle is stored on the mobilecommunication device of the user once the distance between the user'smobile communication device and the SLPF 117 is no longer immediatelyproximate, for example, when the mobile communications device is movedbeyond 5-7 ft. from the SLPF 117. This lack of immediate proximitycauses the short wave or near field communication signal to becomeweaker indicating that the user has left the vehicle at a particularstopping location. In some embodiments where the SLPF 117 has its ownGPS, the SLPF 117 will store the location of the vehicle on its ownmemory.

SLPF 117 may host a resident software (SW) application 118. SW 118 maybe adapted for various tasks including communicating with variouselectronic sensors of varying types and combinations thereof that may beincorporated into SLPF 117 and or into vehicle 116. In some embodiments,the SW 118 is adapted for communication with an accelerometer (such as a3× accelerometer) which measures movement and acceleration as well asother vibrations which might indicate events (such as tampering with theSLPF, unauthorized moving of the vehicle or collision with the vehicle).In some embodiments, SW 118 is adapted for communication with one ormore sensors which may detect the presence of an article within the keycompartment. SW 118 may communicate current status for example,“compartment locked/unlocked” and “key present/not present”. In someembodiments, the SW 118 is adapted to accept changes in status of thevehicle. In some embodiments, for example, the owner 107 may use apersonal communications device to communicate with the SW 118 to changethe status regarding the vehicles availability to renters. SW 118 mayalso communicate unfolding events during an active rental period throughreal time analysis of data received from various sensors. For example,SW 118 may receive signals from the accelerometer or other sensorindicating tampering or movement in which case SW 118 may causenotifications to be sent to one or more users. SW 118 may be adapted toaid in communication between SLPF 117 and owner 107 and one or more ofrenters 112 (1-n) in provision of secure wireless transfer of data stateand device state from the SLPF 117 to a user and compartment accesscodes from the users to the SLPF 117. SLPF 117 may include a motor fordriving certain mechanisms and or actuators to “lock” and to “unlock” akey compartment in the SLPF where a vehicle key may be either insertedinto or removed therefrom.

Accordingly, in one embodiment of the present invention the serviceinvolves registration of users such as “owners” and “renters”.Registration may be conducted through a Web interface hosted on server103 or via downloaded and installed application interface. Registrationfor a vehicle owner may be conducted at the time of purchase or mountingof an SLPF on a vehicle, or at some later time by following a providedlink to server 103. Server 103 includes a data repository 104 forholding data. Repository 104 may contain user profile data taken fromusers during registration. Registration of an SLPF owner may include allrequired vehicle information relative to the vehicle that will host theSLPF.

In one embodiment, one owner may control more than one SLPF (eachdifferent SLPF mounted to a separate vehicle) and may provide a set ofdata identifying each vehicle hosting an SLPF. During registration theowner 107 is paired (securely associated with) with at least one SLPF117 that is mounted to the vehicle 116. Paring generally meansassociating a user such as an owner with a specific SLPF 117 byregistering one or more personal communications devices (such as smartphones or other computerized mobile client devices) with mobileapplication stored thereon which device is used by the owner tocommunicate with that particular SLPF 117. Once paired, the uniqueidentification data of the associated SPLF 117 is provided to and storedon the personal communication device of the owner. In some embodiments,the owner is paired automatically upon registration of a particular SLPF117. In some instances multiple owner personal communication devices maybe associated with a single SLPF 117 and in some instances a singlepersonal communication device of the owner may be associated withmultiple SLPFs registered to the owner. Renters are only associated witha particular SLPF 117 temporarily utilizing the renter's personalcommunication device (such as a smartphone or other computerized mobileclient device) and the mobile application stored thereon while therenter is using (or assigned to use) the vehicle. The pairing of therenter's personal communication device with the selected SLPF 117 occursautomatically when the renter's device is in communication range of theselected SLPF. User data may include profile data, contact data,payment/account data, vehicle data (owner), and calendar data(projected). Users may be required to authenticate with the servicebefore they are able to use the service. In one embodiment the systemconsiders location of owners and potential renters when filling arequest from either an owner to rent a vehicle or from a renter lookingfor a vehicle to rent.

In general use of the present invention, an owner having registered withthe service may send a request to server 103 to find one or morepotential renters to rent a vehicle for typically a specified period oftime. However, an owner such as owner 107 may also rent a vehicle outfor an unspecified period of time (renter determined) without departingfrom the spirit and scope of the present invention. All of the requiredvehicle and owner information is available to server 103 in repository104. At the time of the request or some time thereafter, owner 107 mayinsert a key to start vehicle 116 into a locking key compartment housedby the SLPF 117 aided by SW 118. The owner may have an access codedownloaded to a personal communications device 108, which with the aidof SW 109 may be communicated to the SLPF 117 through a wirelesstransceiver or modem to unlock and/or open the key compartment. Owner107 may then lock the compartment after inserting the key therein. Itshould be noted that for purposes of this description the devicesdescribed herein as the “personal communications device” of the owner orrenter would include a smartphone or other computerized mobile clientdevice capable executing instances of software stored in memory andcommunication using a mobile wireless network, GSM, or through shortwave or near field communication.

Server 103 aided by SW 105 searches for requests from registered rentersto match an owner's request. In one embodiment, the owner changes thestatus of the vehicle to be “available” for rent and the system looksfor potential renters having live open requests to rent a vehicle. Thesystem may use GPS location coordinates of potential renters and of thevehicle to match closest pairs first as geography may be an importantfactor affecting whether an agreement is feasible or not. Alternatively,some other factor may serve as the primary matching factor such aspayment type or anticipated driving geography or length as provided bythe vehicle renter. In some embodiments, multiple factors or featuresare considered by the SW 105 in filling an owner or renter request or,in other words, in matching a registered vehicle to a renter request,providing a list or available vehicles for renters to choose from, orotherwise providing one or more renter requests to the owner to allowthe owner to choose which renter request is preferred. A variety ofmethods and factors may be used to match a vehicle with a renterrequest. In one embodiment, the radius of geographical proximity betweenthe vehicle and potential renters may be adjustable. In one embodiment,the requested geographical location is not based on current proximitybetween vehicle and renter but rather on the intended proximity of therenter at a future time, for example, a location proximate to where therenter is intending to travel to at some point in the future. The ownerrequest contains the terms of the rental agreement that a potentialrenter must agree to before being directed to the location of vehicle116. In some cases, a negotiation may occur between the owner and one ormore potential renters to more particularly define the terms of therental agreement.

Assuming one of renters 112 (1-n) is selected as the qualified renterfilling the owner request, server 103 may send a message to the renterwith confirmation of the agreement and location of the rental vehicle tothe renter's personal communications device. Once a renter, for examplerenter 112(1), is geographically close to the vehicle, server 103 maysend a compartment access code or signal to personal communicationsdevice 113 aided by SW 111 a. Renter 112(1) may then communicate theaccess code to SLPF 117 unlocking the key compartment of the SLPF.

A short range wireless technology, such as Bluetooth or near fieldcommunications (NFC), may be used to transfer lock and unlock commandsbetween the personal communications devices of the owner and renter andthe SLPF 117. SLPF 117 may detect the personal communications device ofthe renter or owner when brought into range of the wirelesscommunications field. In one implementation, server 103 may send anunlock command to SLPF 117 through a router or communication node 106(not shown) that is part of the mobile network 102 such as over a GSMnetwork when the user has located the vehicle and sends a message toserver 103 that the renter is ready to move the vehicle. In anotherimplementation, a Wi-Fi hotspot (WFHS) powered through an On BoardDiagnostic port (OBD) installed within the vehicle communicates withSLPF 117 via Wi-Fi protocol, while WFHS communicates with the server 103via GSM. In one embodiment the server 103 may back up the renter such asmaking sure the compartment was locked by the renter after replacing thekey into the compartment. There are many and variant options for lockingand unlocking the key compartment of the SLPF 117.

A wireless technology such as Bluetooth, or near field communications(NFC) may be used to transfer lock and unlock commands between thepersonal communications devices of the owner and renter and the SLPF117. SLPF 117 may detect the mobile communications client device of therenter or owner when brought into range of the wireless communicationsfield. In an alternative embodiment, the SPLF 117 may communicate withthe vehicle's On Board Diagnostics (OBD) system via a hardwired orwireless interface (such as through a plug in Wi-Fi hot spot device) ininserted into the vehicle's existing OBD port (not shown) enabling theserver, owner or renter to control the vehicle, thereby locking,unlocking and operating vehicles that function “keyless” via locksensors and push button engine start and stops. In another embodiment,the SLPF 117 communicates with the personal communications devices ofthe owner and renter through the Wi-Fi connection enabled by a Wi-Fi hotspot device utilizing the vehicle's OBD system as a power source.

In one embodiment, when an owner and one or more renters are groupedaround an active rental contract or agreement, communications betweenthe server, SLPF, and the personal communication device(s) of therenter(s) may be copied to the owner's personal communications device(108) aided by SW 109. During an active rental period, vehicle 116 isbeing driven and may be tracked by server 103 aided by SW 105. SW 105may periodically check GPS coordinates of vehicle 116 and compare thedata to geographic data associated with a rental agreement such as toenable server 103 to determine if a renter has moved a vehicle beyond anagreed area or locality. Likewise, a renter may drop off vehicle 116 atanother location which the server may discover and inform the owner.

Server 103 may monitor certain states of operation of vehicle 116 by arenter such as user 112(1). SW 105 may be adapted to receive datareported to it from SLPF 117 during use such as vehicle speed, vehiclelocation, vehicle operating temperatures, outside air temperature,vehicle park locations and lock state, etc. This data may be collectedby designated sensors on the SPLF 117 or via connection to the OBDsystem, as previously described. Server 103 may have access to rulescreated by an owner and associated with a particular rental agreementthat the server may use to determine (typically through sensor data)that the renter has violated a condition of a standing rental agreement.In such a case the server may send a communication to the renter copyingthe owner to alert the renter of the violation such as driving outsidethe intended course or area, driving too fast, or driving beyond astated boundary line. The server may also send alerts or messages tothird party entities like a police department, fire department or otherfirst responding unit or service if an event is detected that warrantsit such as an accident or obvious theft. For example, and as describedlater in this application, the SLPF 117 may detect an incident throughone or more sensors such as that the SLPF 117 is being tampered with orthe vehicle is being moved without the presence of the vehicle renter inwhich case the SLPF 117 may send alerts to the owner, renter or thirdparties through boosted short range communication such as Bluetooth orotherwise utilize GSM or Wi-Fi communications technology enabled by aWi-Fi hotspot to notify the server of the incident which in turn theserver then notifies the owner, renter or third parties such as police.

SW 105 may broker rental transactions between users including providinga payment mechanism, tracking revenue, and other similar tasks. As thesystem is used for example, in a local setting, the system may discovergeographic patterns or areas where renters are conjugating and informowners about benefits of leaving a rental car closer to the discoveredarea. An owner may, through application 109, access recorded data andstatistics about service use, account settings, etc. More detail aboutSLPF 117 is provided in the following description.

FIG. 2 is a front elevation view of smart license plate frame (SLPF) 117according to an embodiment of the present invention. SLPF 117 is adaptedas a smart computing and communications device that also functions tohold a traditional license plate. SLPF 117 may include mechanisms andactuators that may be motor driven and electronically triggered. SLPF117 includes a body portion having a length, a width, and a depthsufficient to include one or more pockets or compartments for housingelectronics, mechanics, and an on-board (OB) power source. The bodyportion of SPLF 117 may be manufactured or molded from a durable andresilient polymer material. In one embodiment, the body portion of SLPF117 may be machined of aluminum, or another durable and weatherresistant metal such as stainless steel. Weight may be a factor inmaterial selection. The body portion of SLPF 117 may include additionalopen pockets or space for mounting electrical and mechanical components,memory card, and sensors such that they are not occupying the keycompartment space.

SLPF 117 is adapted to be mounted onto a vehicle frame or bumper sectionusing a bolt system enabling a user to install SLPF 117 onto a vehiclein place of a traditional license plate holding device. SLPF 117includes a body front door assembly 201. Body front door 201 may includea hinged support plate 202 having a hinge 203 positioned at the topfront of the body portion of SLPF 117. A license plate mounting frame211 (two pieces) may be mounted to back support plate 202 at screwmounting points 204 following a rectangular bolt pattern. License plate205 rests between opposing members of mounting frame 211 against thehinged support plate.

Hinged support plate 202 may be manufactured of a durable and resilientpolymer material or of a metal such as aluminum, stainless steel, or thelike. It is important to note herein that durability of materials andresistive properties of the materials to adverse weather conditions mayplay a role in material selection for fabrication of the components ofthe SLPF 117 of the invention without departing from the spirit andscope of the present invention. Behind hinge 203, there may be a hingemounting plate that may be installed at the top central edge of the SLPFbody portion.

License plate 205 includes the typical license plate indentationsdemarcating regions for registration stickers etc. License plate holdingframe 211 may be manufactured in essentially the same specifications asstandard plate holders are manufactured to without departing from thespirit and scope of the present invention. Body front door 201 may swingout toward a user when opened and may include a latch not illustrated tolatch it closed. In one embodiment, door lift recesses 210 may beprovided on the body portion of SLPF 117 that break out to surface underthe body front door 201. These recesses enable a user to lift open thebody front door more easily. Recesses 210 may extend past the radii ofthe bottom of the frame. In one embodiment body front door 201 may belocked when closed and may be unlocked by a code or signal to enablemanual opening using recesses 210.

A rectangular motherboard compartment 207 is provided within the bodyportion of SLPF 117 having a length, a width, and a depth sufficient tohouse a computing motherboard including a central processing unit (CPU)and other electronics components such as a components enabling wirelesscommunication with other wirelessly enabled communications devices likethose personal communications devices described above relative to FIG.1, and for establishing data connection to a data network-hosted serversuch as server 103 of FIG. 1.

In the embodiment shown, an antenna 302 in the form of a mountable stripis provided and is mounted front center at the top of the SLPF 117 body.In an alternative embodiment, the antenna 302 is an embedded stripinside of frame 211. In one embodiment, antenna 302 is adapted to detectBluetooth and NFC signals as well as GSM and GPS signals. In oneembodiment there will be several antennas, each tailored for respectivefunction including Bluetooth, GSM, NFC and GPS which may be mounted orembedded together or separately on the SLPF 117 body or frame 211. Inthis example antenna 302 has power and signal connection 303 tomotherboard compartment 207. In one embodiment, antenna 302, designedfor Bluetooth frequency is known to the inventor and has beenmanufactured according to instruction from the inventor by a companyreferred to herein as World Products part number WPANT10088-S2A.

A rectangular battery compartment 208 is provided having a length, awidth, and a depth sufficient to hold one or more regular orrechargeable batteries and/or cells. Rechargeable batteries or cells maybe charged manually, through a charging connection to a vehicle chargingsystem, or by solar charging using a solar plate array or panelpositioned to have exposure to the sun. In the case of regular batteriesor cells, for example off the shelf AA or AAA batteries, these will beeasily replaceable. In one embodiment, the software will detect thatbattery power level is at a critical level and will alert the user tochange or recharge the batteries.

SLPF 117 includes a rectangular locking key compartment 206 having alength, a width, and a depth sufficient to store at least one key thatmay be used to start the host vehicle. In one embodiment one or morethan one key and perhaps other small items such as instructions may bekept securely within compartment 206. Two keys may include such as oneto start the host vehicle and one to access the trunk of the vehicle, ortwo starter keys for two drivers, etc. Compartment 206 may also house anelectronically triggered door lock mechanism (such as an electronic keyFOB, not illustrated), and at least one presence detection sensor forsensing key presence within compartment 206. In one embodiment of theinvention the compartment 206 is made of a material such as metal thatcreates a Faraday Cage deterring unauthorized individuals from usingwireless signals to determine whether an electronic key is containedwithin the compartment and access the codes contained thereon to accessthe vehicle.

Compartments 206, 207 and 208 are interconnected via physical pathwayssufficient to provide for inter-component wiring and electronic busconnections for power distribution and for electronic motor and doorcontrol (locking or unlocking). Actual wiring is not illustrated hereinso as not to obscure the details of the invention. In oneimplementation, SLPF 117 may include a USB connection that may be usedto connect the device directly to a laptop computer or other test ordiagnostic devices for the purposes of mechanically unlocking the keycompartment, data management, configuration, software update, ordiagnostic maintenance procedures. In one embodiment, the USB may onlybe utilized to open the lock if batteries are depleted and all upgradesand testing of the SLPF 117 may be completed through short wave or otherwireless communication with the SLPF 117. A torsion spring 212 isprovided top center of the frame body for tensioning the license plateframe assembly (front door) for latching purposes.

FIG. 3 is a side elevation view of SLPF 117 of FIG. 2. SLPF 117 has anangular profile such as that of a vertically oriented right trianglewider at the base and narrower at the top. This should not be construedas a limitation of the invention as other profiles may be observed. Inthis example, the angular profile may provide for a more verticalpresentation of the mounted license plate when SLPF 117 is mounted to avehicle frame or bumper.

Frame front door 201 may be mounted to the top surface of the bodyportion of frame 117 via a hinge mounting plate 301 connected to hinge203, in turn connected to back support plate 202. License plate 205 ismounted to the support plate in this example. In one embodiment a latchmechanism may be provided that includes a physical actuator for latchingand releasing the door. In this example a user may lift front door 201by inserting fingers under the door in the area of door lift recesses210. Frame front door 201 swings out in the direction of the arrow. Inone embodiment magnets are used to hold down front door 201.

In one embodiment frame front door 201 may be latched and locked andunlocked electronically in a fashion described relative to the keycompartment door. In one implementation a single access code may be usedto “unlock” both the frame front door and the key compartment doorsimultaneously. In another example, frame front door 201 latches but isnot “locked” in the latched position. In still another embodiment, frontframe door 201 does not latch but stays down due to magnetic latchcomponents. In this view compartments 206, 207, and 208 have overlappingvertical boundaries. A width dimension “A” depicts the width footprintof key compartment 206. In one embodiment, as previously discussed, thekey compartment has “shielding” from electronic signals by method ofmagnetic shielding such as a Faraday Cage surrounding the keycompartment or material lining to prevent thieves from using a scannerto locate an electronic key (such as an electronic key FOB) storedwithin the key compartment and obtaining any digital code which may bestored within the electronic key itself to unlock a door or otherwiseaccess any portion of the vehicle.

In this view antenna 302 in the form of a mountable strip is providedand is mounted front center at the exterior top body portion of the SLPF117. Antenna 302 is adapted to detect Bluetooth and NFC signals as wellas GSM and GPS signals. In this example antenna 302 has power and signalconnection 303 to motherboard compartment 207. Antenna 302 is known tothe inventor and has been manufactured according to instruction from theinventor by a company referred to herein as World Products part numberWPANT10088-S2A.

In one embodiment, all sensors deemed important to operation of SLPF 117may be installed within SLPF 117 (body or compartments) and may beoperated independently of any host vehicle components or systems.Sensors may include visual or optical sensors (camera, photocell), audiosensors (microphone), vibrational, shock, or other motion sensors suchas accelerometers, and object presence sensors such as a sensor fordetermining key presence within compartment 206 and a sensor fordetermining the locked or unlocked state of the key compartment door. Inone embodiment, an accelerometer, such as a 3× accelerometer, is used todetect vibration, shock and or motion that would indicate an event suchas tampering or unauthorized use and send a signal to the CPU whichwould enable an alert system which may activate an alarm such as abuzzer or speaker mounted on the SLPF 117 or to send an alert messagedirectly to the owner, renter or third party located within a proximatevicinity via boosted signal such as a boosted Bluetooth signal. In oneembodiment, a speaker is positioned within the SLPF 117 and the softwarewould enable a user, alerted by the system that an event is occurring,to activate an alarm or buzzer using the software installed on theuser's communication device. In one embodiment, the alarm or buzzerwould be automatically activated upon an event and an alert provided tothe user who may deactive the alarm or buzzer. In one embodiment, theSLPF 117 is put in a ready or “armed” mode either manually by the userusing the application stored his personal communication device orautomatically when the user (carrying a personal communication devicepaired with the SLPF) moves a distance away from the SLPF 117 as toweaken the communication signal such that the system determines the userhas left the proximate vicinity of the vehicle (for example, 5-8 feet).Once “armed” any detection by the accelerometer or other sensorsindicating movement or tampering causes the CPU to boost power and sendan amplified Bluetooth or other signal to the personal communicationdevice of user located well beyond the normal short wave distance (asmuch as 500 feet for example). In an alternative embodiment, the SLPF117 itself may have GSM or other mobile communications capability inwhich case it could communicate with the user, server or third party viaGSM. In another alternative embodiment, the SLPF 117 is in communicationwith a server via a Wi-Fi hotspot connected with an OBD system of thevehicle enabling the SLPF 117 to communicate with the server that anevent is taking place and alert the user or other parties through GSM.

In one implementation, SLPF 117 may have electronic connections made(during installation) to specific sensors that may be installed in thehost vehicle and may take data from those sensors during operation, andrelay that information to the owner, renter or server. SLPF 117 may alsohave a power connection to a host-vehicle charging system including anysolar charging apparatus that may be installed on the host vehicle. Anexample of such an embodiment may be one where the SLPF comes as afeature in a new vehicle being sold. An aftermarket SLPF may beconnected to specific vehicle components or systems by a mechanic or bythe user with aid of a manual.

As previously discussed, one implementation includes the SLPF 117 havingaccess to a Wi-Fi network through components installed in the hostvehicle as a feature of the vehicle. In one implementation, access to aWi-Fi router installed in and powered by the vehicle may be throughcommunication by the SLPF with the server via Wi-Fi host systemconnected with the vehicle on board diagnostic (OBD) system or otherWi-Fi host system or component that may be part of the OEM features ofthe vehicle. Likewise, SLPF 117 may be integrated to vehicle-basednetwork communications or reporting systems like On Star™ or similarreporting or emergency systems without departing from the spirit andscope of the present invention.

In one implementation SLPF 117 is a standalone unit and does not requireelectronic or power connections to the host vehicle. For example, asolar powered charging system may be made part of the SLPF to keepbatteries in charged state. In such an implementation, SLPF 117 may beremoved easily from one host vehicle and mounted to a different hostvehicle. An owner may then add the new vehicle particulars to theprofile data relative to vehicle description and identificationincluding a new plate number.

Telephony capability for wireless messaging using any available networkmay also be provided so that the system does not require vehicle basedcomponents to communicate such as with a server on the Internet or to anemergency number reached over the telephone carrier network. In yetanother variation of telephony capability, SLPF 117 may be adapted touse a mobile computerized communication device such as smart phone as amodem to access a data network such as the Internet network andcommunicate with a server such as server 103 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a front elevation view of SPLF 117 of FIG. 2 with the framedoor and license plate removed. Battery compartment 208 is adapted tohold rechargeable batteries or power cells. Compartment 208 includes apair of cover mounts 403 for mounting a battery compartment cover plate(cover not illustrated). Motherboard compartment 207 also has covermounts 403 adapted to screw mount a cover plate there over (cover platenot illustrated). In this example, a computing motherboard including acentral processor unit (CPU) 408 is depicted mounted within compartment207 along with other electronic components 410.

Components 410 may include memory for storing firmware, data, andexecutable SW such as SW 118 of FIG. 1. Components 410 may also includea wireless near field communications circuitry and or an NFC card slotadapted for reading or taking data from NFC cards inserted therein.Alternatively, an antenna installed on the outside surface of the SLPFmay be used to pick up NFC card signals when an NFC card is placed closeto the antenna. For example, if the business model for the SLPF is touse the system to track employees, the employees may be issued specialNFC cards to access the key compartment of the SLPF to insert or removea key. An NFC card slot or antenna may be presented at a convenientposition on the outside surface of SLPF 117 such as adjacent to the keycompartment door.

In one embodiment, an antenna 302 in the form of a mountable strip isprovided and is mounted front center at the top of frame 117. Antenna302 is adapted to detect Bluetooth and NFC signals as well as GSM andGPS signals. In this example antenna 302 has power and signal connection303 to motherboard compartment 207. Antenna 302 is known to the inventorand has been manufactured according to instruction from the inventor bya company referred to herein as World Products part numberWPANT10088-S2A.

Components 410 may include a Bluetooth chip or other wirelesscommunications circuitry for enabling detection and communications withnearby devices detected within range. In this example, a BluetoothBooster (BTB) module is included in components 410 and is adapted toboost a Bluetooth signal range beyond the standard 25 or so footperimeter to upwards of 500 feet.

A signal booster may reach a user's personal device in the largervicinity of the vehicle should the service require a communication withthe user during rental of a vehicle. For example, if the SLPF istampered with while the user is not in the vehicle the user might bealerted along with other third parties such as local authorities ifneeded. Likewise, a SLPF may be enabled to access a local wirelessnetwork such as a GSM network or Wi-Fi network.

Motion sensor 417, such as a 3× accelerometer, could, if triggered,cause the BTB module 410 to activate to boost the communications rangeof the SLPF to 500 feet (perimeter). Also in this example, components410 include a flexible transceiver antenna (RX/TX for cellular, CDMA,etc.) communications. In a minimal embodiment, SLPF 117 uses thecapabilities of a user's personal communications device to gaugelocation or to communicate with a server using the personal device as aportal or modem to the server. In one embodiment, the alerts showingtampering could be sent to multiple users who have registered for theservice and are known by the system to be within the vicinity of thesubject vehicle but are not necessarily paired with that vehicle. Suchalerts might tell this “community of users” that there is a vehicleknown by the system that is signaling an alert and show the location ofthe vehicle so that one or more members of the community might respondand provide communication back to the server via the system applicationstored on their personal communication device.

Components 410 may include one or more circuits supporting one or moreaccessible ports such as a universal serial port (USB), an audio/visualjack, or the like. Such port interfaces may be presented on the outsideof SLPF 117 in convenient plug-in locations. Components 410 may includea subscriber identity/identification module (SIM) card adapted toprovide 3G or 4G network access and adapted to store uniqueidentification and key compartment access information for at least theowner of the SLPF 117.

SLPF 117 includes mounting points 409, which may be bolt mount openingsfor mounting SLPF 117 to a frame or bumper plate of a vehicle. Element401 is an elongate recess in the body wall of SLPF 117 to accept thehinge associated with the frame front door support plate. Keycompartment 206 has, in this implementation, a hinged door 402 supportedby hinge 407. Hinge 407 may, in one embodiment, be spring assisted tourge door 402 open when in an unlocked state. An electric motor 411 isprovided within the frame body portion of SPLF 117 that has rotatableconnection to a cam shaft 413 with a pair of cam lock apertures 412 thatmay be operated through the motor to lock or unlock door 402. In oneembodiment, server 103 may send an unlock command to SLPF 117 by directcommunication when a designated renter or owner is within range of thewireless communications field. The SLPF may receive the signal or othercommunication from either the server or personal communication device atan antenna coupled with the CPU. The antenna is capabable ofcommunicating with any number of wireless communication protocolincluding NFC, BlueTooth, GSM and GPS. The processor may access a localmemory, or the server in order to validate that the signal was receivedfrom a trusted subscriber device having authority as the owner or anapproved renter to open the key compartment of the SLPF, prior tolocking or unlocking the key door of SLPF 117. If the received signal isdetermined valid, the processor may signal a switch or FrequencyObtained Binary (FOB) sensor to move the motor 411 to either lock orunlock the key door 402.

Key compartment 206 may include within or may provide access to one ormore electronically controlled sensors such as a door “state” sensor 415adapted for determining and reporting whether the key compartment door402 is locked or is unlocked. Key compartment 206 may include one ormore electronically controlled sensors such as a FOB presence sensor 414adapted to determine whether or not there is actually one or more keyssuch as key 404 inside of compartment 206. In one embodiment,photoelectric sensors might be used to determine key presence. In oneembodiment, weight sensors or magnetic sensors might be used to detectthe presence of a key or keys.

In one embodiment, key presence detection granularity of one or moresensors may determine the type of more than one key that might be placedinto the compartment. For example, an optical or photo sensor programedwith the identifiable key shape patterns of more than one key maydetermine, for example, an ignition key from a trunk key for thevehicle, and perhaps if a wrong key is placed into the compartment forthe process being executed at the time. For example, it might cause analert message to be sent to an owner or to a renter who has left a“wrong” type of key in the key compartment or whether the “trunk” keyshould also be included with the ignition key, etc. In oneimplementation, a motion/shock sensor 416 may be provided either withinkey compartment 206 or in another convenient location on SLPF 117 suchas in the body portion of SLPF 117, the sensor adapted to detect effortsto physically tamper with the SLPF and to record instances of shock suchas a collision with another vehicle or shock caused by someone trying tobreak into the key compartment 206. In one embodiment one or moreaccelerometers such as 3× accelerometers known to the inventor might beused to detect motion.

It is noted herein that two or more sensors may be utilized incombination to detect a certain event at the time of occurrence. Forexample, a motion sensor may be activated by someone trying to tamperwith the SLPF whereby the motion sensor may trigger the other sensorssuch as a camera and microphone in order to capture the unfoldingincident for reporting purposes. Additionally, an audible alarm mayalert passersby that someone is attempting to tamper with the SLPFand/or an alert can be sent automatically to the server and the ownerwho may, in turn, use a personal communication device to cause the SLPFto sound a buzzer or alarm located on the SLPF. In one embodiment, SLPF117 includes magnetic hold downs or “latches” that hold front door (201not illustrated) down whether a latch is also provided for the frontdoor or not.

In general use of the invention, an owner may send a unique code orsignal to SLPF 117 via a personal communications device, which mayinclude wearable devices such as a “smart watch” for example when such adevice is brought within wireless communications in range, or the codeor signal may be sent to the unit by a server in order to open the keycompartment for insertion or removal of one or more keys depending onthe immediate process relative to car sharing that is being executed. Inmost embodiments, SLPF 117 wireless component recognizes when anauthorized “paired” personal communications device comes intocommunications range. In the case of a renter the renter's personalcommunications device is registered with the service and an SLPF mayautomatically recognize the personal communications device when it comesinto proximate range.

The user of the device may then communicate to the frame componenteither directly or brokered through a network or a combination of both.For example, a renter may only be provided an access code from a serverwhen the SLPF has identified the renters registered personalcommunications device running the mobile application of the presentinvention within the wireless range of the vehicle that is to be pickedup during that period in time. In one implementation, the renter mustrequest that the server unlock the key compartment and inform the renterwhen to open the front door to access the key compartment. In somecases, there may be a discrepancy causing the server to withhold theaccess code such as if a microphone detects a rental violation such as acrowd of people using the vehicle instead of a stated (or agreedmaximum) number of persons.

In one implementation, the renter must authenticate by real time videoor picture to the server and prove he or she is actually the renter andnot a user who has perhaps followed the potential renter with an idea totake the phone running the app from the renter by force and hijack thevehicle. There are a variety of security steps or measures that may takeplace before the server will allow a key compartment to be unlocked. Thevehicle owner may also be subject to authentication with the serverbefore being able to access the key compartment. More detail about usingthe car sharing service of the present invention is provided later inthis specification.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of key compartment door 402 according to anembodiment of the present invention. Key compartment door 402 may bemachined of metal such as stainless steel or aluminum. In oneembodiment, key compartment door 402 is manufactured of a durablepolymer material. In one embodiment, all sides of the key compartment(including the door) are manufactured of a metal or other material thatwill provide shielding to prevent persons from being able to obtain anentry code from an electronic key or FOB stored within the keycompartment. In this example, door 402 includes hinge mounts 502 (oneproximal to each end) for mounting door 402 onto hinge component 407that allows door 402 to swing out about an axis line represented hereinby a broken double arrow when unlocked. In one embodiment, a door cam orpinned axle may be substituted for a hinge without departing from thespirit and scope of the present invention. In one embodiment, springtension such as via a torsion spring may be provided to door 402 to urgethe door to swing out under the spring tension whenever it is unlocked.

Key compartment door 402 includes opposing side walls 503 and a frontwall or plate 504. The overall length of key compartment door 402 isjust shorter than the length of the key compartment as measured frominside wall to opposing inside wall along the direction of the doublearrow door axis line. Door 402 may be latched and locked in oneembodiment using the previously described cam lock system describedrelative to FIG. 4. It is noted herein however that other doorconfigurations for key compartment door 402 may be practiced withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of the invention such as using asliding compartment door instead of a hinged door, for example. It mayalso be noted herein that other locking hardware might be used in placeof cam locks without departing from the spirit and scope of theinvention such as electronically controlled pin locks to lock the doorclosed or a motor/cam axle functioning as the door hinge or axis thatmay be motor controlled to remain closed and locked, or to unlock andmove (via motored) the door opened to an access position sufficient forkey insertion and removal.

FIG. 6 is a side elevation view depicting SLPF 117 of FIG. 2 with theframe door and key compartment door open relative to closed or openstate. Frame front door 201 is mounted to support plate 202 in the framefront door 201 of SLPF 117. Hinge 203 enables frame front door 201 to beswung out toward an accessing user in the direction of the arrow.License plate 205 and support plate 202 are located within the framefront door assembly 201.

Key compartment door 402 is depicted unlocked and open. Compartment door402 also swings out about hinge or axle 407 toward the accessing user inthe direction of the associated arrow. Vehicle key 404 is depicted(hidden lines) within compartment 206 for reference. In oneimplementation, a user may open front frame door 201 via door liftrecesses 210. Frame front door 201 may be adapted to stay closed via oneor more strategically placed magnet latches such as magnets 405 of FIG.4. In one implementation, frame front door 201 may latch to SLPF 117 andmay be locked in a latched state. In this implementation, a wirelesscode or wireless signal may also be required to unlatch frame front door201 so that a user may lift it up and out of the way of the underlyingkey compartment 206. In other words, the embodiment may require twoseparate unlocking mechanisms—one to unlock the frame front door 201 andone to unlock the key compartment 206.

In one implementation, frame front door 201 is manually lifted and isnot locked in a closed position against SLPF 117 but held in a closedposition by relatively powerful magnets. In one embodiment, a userdesiring to access key compartment 206 for key 404 must send a code orsignal to SLPF 117 while within wireless range of a wireless perimeteror range of the SLPF. The code may be a code generated for a particular“car sharing” event set up by an owner of the SLPF. The code may not beshared with the renting user until that user has arrived on scene topick up the vehicle. The user may be detected by the SLPF when the userbrings a registered personal communications device within wireless rangeof the SLPF. If key compartment door 402 is unlocked it may swing outunder spring tension.

If frame front door 201 is closed and compartment 206 is open, themagnets retaining front frame door 201 into the closed position may bepowerful enough to also prevent compartment door 402 from popping outthough it may be unlocked and accessible. However, when the user liftsfront frame door 201, the key compartment door may automatically swingout, if unlocked, as soon as it is no longer obstructed by the frontframe door being closed. Key compartment door 402 may only be accessedby a registered user, such as either owner or an approved renter, whohas a registered personal communications device in hand or on body thatmay be detected as such by SLPF 117 and verified at a network servercharged with brokering car sharing transactions and monitoring one ormore aspects of car share events.

FIG. 7 is a process flow chart 700 depicting steps for registering for acar sharing service according to an aspect of the present invention. Atstep 701 a user may access a Website set up for vehicle share serviceregistration using a network browser application while connected to thenetwork, for example, the Internet. In one implementation the user mayaccess a registration module using an application (Software) storefront, or by using a third party service such as Google Play services.Once at the Website, the user may be prompted to download and install amobile software application at step 702. The mobile application isadapted for a personal communications device that will be used by theuser in communications with the service.

It is noted that step 702 may be part of a general registration processwhere the user uploads data required by the service to affectregistration for that user. In one implementation the application isfirst downloaded and executed from the user's personal device and thendata is uploaded to the server through the application. It is also notedherein that servers may be distributed regionally and one or moreservers may overlap relative to service range.

At step 703 it may be determined whether the registering user is in factan owner of an SLPF such as SLPF 117 of FIG. 1. If at step 703 the useris an owner the process may move to step 704 where the user may pair apersonal communications device such as a smart mobile phone or othercomputerized mobile client device with the purchased SLPF unit at step704. In this case, registration information may include SLPF datauniquely identifying the unit, personal communications device type andprofile data including unique identification, and of course the personaldata of the owner. All of this data may be stored in a data repositoryaccessible to the network server. At step 706, a user may upload profiledata including car-share vehicle availability calendar information,preferences for lending the vehicle, etc. The registration process mayend for that user at step 707.

At step 703 if the user is not an owner of a SLPF 117, then the processmoves to step 705 where it may be determined if the registrant is apotential renter. If the server determines the user is not a renter,then the process may loop back to step 703 until the correct informationis given. It is noted herein that user profile data uploaded to theserver may be later edited by that registered user. If it is determinedthat the user is a renter at step 705, the process moves to step 706where the renter may upload a “renter's” data profile. A renter'sprofile may include the renter's banking data, name and personalinformation, vehicle types the renter is interested in renting, anyreferences the renter may have, etc. In one case, it is possible that anowner may also be interested in renting as well. To this end theapplication that users download may be the same app for both owners andrenters. The process may end for the renter at step 707. It should benoted, however, that when a selected vehicle is determined andinformation is provided to the renter to allow the renter to access thekey compartment for use of the vehicle, the renter will need to pair hismobile communication device with the SLPF. In both instances of pairing(owner or renter) the pairing may be done automatically by the system.

FIG. 8 is a process flow chart 800 depicting steps for brokering a carshare transaction in progress according to an aspect of the presentinvention. At step 801 a network server may receive a request from aregistered service user. The request may be from a registered SLPF owneror from a registered renter approved to rent a vehicle. It may be notedherein that the request may be from any registered user owner or renter.The request may include GPS location coordinates of the user's personalcommunications device and of the SLPF if the request is from an ownerwhom has been detected within wireless range of the SLPF. At step 802,the server determines if the request received is from an SLPF owner.

If the request is from a SLPF owner and the owner is requesting theservice to fulfill a rental availability, the process may move to step804 where the owner may insert a vehicle key into the key compartment ofthe SLPF on the vehicle. In this process the owner may physically insertthe vehicle key into the key compartment and then send a code from theowner's personal communications device to the SLPF over a short rangewireless connection, such as Bluetooth or NFC, in order to lock the keycompartment door. The owner may be required to unlock the keycompartment door before keys may be physically inserted therein. Inanother aspect, the compartment is not locked if no keys are present inthe compartment.

In one aspect, the code stored on the owner's personal communicationsdevice is also stored on the device memory of the SLPF. In this aspect,the owner may insert the key and lock the compartment without serverinvolvement other than authenticating the owner. In one aspect, theserver sends a code to the SLPF and to the personal communicationsdevice of the owner after it is determined they share the same GPSlocation. The owner may use the received code to unlock and perhaps lockthe key compartment door. In one aspect, the server may require one codeto unlock a key compartment and a different code to lock it again. Inthe above process steps, it is assumed that the owner is located withinwireless communications range of the SLPF and that the owner's personalcommunications device has connection with the server.

At step 806 the presence of the correct key(s) inside the keycompartment may be reported to the server from the SLPF through aconnection to the network hosting the server. The confirmation may be inthe form of a message from the SLPF to the server or a machine tomachine network communication such as a ping. Key presence within thekey compartment may be determined using one or more sensors adapted todetect one or more keys as previously discussed relative to sensor 414of the description of FIG. 4.

The server may search for registered renters on behalf of the owner bysearching through renter's current status postings or active renterrequests identifying them as actively looking to rent a vehicleimmediately or in the future. The data may be filtered by the serveraided by SW to narrow results to identifying those potential rentersthat are actively looking to rent the same or similar type vehicle forthe stated time period or window and may be within a reasonablegeographic distance from the where the vehicle was left by the owner forthe renter to pick up.

At step 809 it may be determined whether or not potential renters arefound that may qualify to fulfill the car sharing contract of the owner.If no renters were found, the process may loop back until one or morerenters can be discovered. If one or more renters are found to fulfillthe owners request at step 809, the process may move on to step 810where the vehicle's exact location information is sent to the renter'spersonal communications device. This assumes that the renter hasaccepted the owner's terms and qualifies to rent the vehicle accordingto owner conditions if any. In one aspect an owner may reserve a rightto approve a renter. In another, approval may be automated according toinformation associated with the rental agreement or contract uploaded bythe owner.

In step 811 the renter may arrive at the GPS location of the rentalvehicle. It is also assumed that the SLPF of the owner has detected theowner within its wireless range and that the SLPF is also connected tothe server. In this process, the SLPF may detect the renter's personalcommunications device via short range wireless communications. Therenter may contact the server and check in to enable the server toconfirm GPS of the renter and SLPF to determine if it is appropriate torelease an access code to the renter's personal communications device.Once the renter checks in with the server, the server may send theaccess code to unlock the key compartment at step 812. In one aspect,the server may send the access code directly to the SLPF to unlock thekey compartment for the renter with the code being transparent to therenter. In one aspect, each SLPF has to unique codes—one for unlockingthe key compartment and one for locking it similar to a key pair.

The access and locking codes or one code for unlocking and locking maybe resident on the SLPF, on the network server, and on the owner'spersonal communications device. In one aspect of the process, the servermay assign codes for unlocking and locking a key compartment door of aSLPF for each car sharing event that is to transpire, the codesgenerated only when immediately needed. In this aspect, the code orcodes may be sent to the SLPF to store for subsequent matching to codecommunicated to the SLPF from the user (owner or renter).

If at step 802 the request is not from a SLPF owner, the server maydetermine at step 803 if the request is from a renter. If the serverdetermines the request is not from a registered renter, the process mayloop back until the nature of the request is determined. If the serverdetermines the request is from a renter at step 803, the process maymove to step 805 where the server looks for registered owners to fillthe renter's request. A request may be a message specifying a timeperiod within which the renter is wanting a rental and may include dataspecifying preference for the rental request such as how long thevehicle will be needed, the planned route the vehicle will travel,general purpose statements such as what the vehicle will be undergoingduring the rental period as far as distance traveled, loads if any,pets, etc.

At step 807 the server may determine if any owners are found having anavailable vehicle rental that could fit the needs of the renter. If atstep 807 an owner is not found, the process may loop back until an owneris found that can satisfy the renter's criteria. In one aspect there maybe some negotiation between an owner and a potential renter before anagreement is forged. If an owner is found in step 807 that is acceptableto the renter and the renter has been approved to share the vehicle bythe server or by the owner, the process may move to step 810 where theserver sends the vehicle location to the renter. The renter may arriveat the vehicle location at step 811 and the server may then provide thekey compartment access code at step 812 once the renter has checked inwith the server while at the vehicle location.

It is noted herein that an owner may use the service of the invention tolook for potential renters and forge an agreement with a renter to takethe vehicle well before the beginning date and time scheduled for renterpick up of the vehicle. In this case, the server may still withhold theaccess code until the renter is actually ready to access the keycompartment and take the vehicle. In one example, an owner may live inone region and a potential renter is traveling to that region by planeand seeks to rent a vehicle after landing in an airport. In thisscenario, server will match the renter with an available vehicle in thearea near the airport. In this scenario, the owner may also have one ormore vehicles available within walking distance from the airport whichmay be made available to the renter.

The scalability of the service of the present invention is such that itmay be practiced internationally using the Internet network as a hostnetwork where renters from out of state or country may use the serviceas registered members of the service to find available vehicles atspecified points during their travel without requirement of waiting forservice at a conventional vehicle rental service. It is also notedherein that rental transactions may be initiated and brokered “on thefly” such as by an owner who may initiate a new car share event with theservice at any point in time where the service immediately finds andmatches one or more renters to the owner and vehicle.

In one embodiment of the invention, existing car rental services maycollaborate with “local” private vehicle owners to help fulfill carrental demand on their own commercial lots. For example, a client walksin to a commercial establishment that does not currently have the typeof vehicle they are seeking to rent. In this case, the service may beinvoked to locate private vehicle owners having waiting vehicles parkednearby where if one is found that matches what the renter is willing totake. The owner and rental establishment may share the proceedsappropriately, for example, the owner getting paid for the rental whilethe car rental company gets a commission and keeps a loyal client.

FIG. 9 is a process flow chart 900 depicting steps for monitoring renteractivity during a car share event according to an aspect of the presentinvention. In this example, it is assumed that the renter has removedthe vehicle key from the key compartment with the aid of an access codeand has started the vehicle. In this state, the SLPF may retain anetwork connection at least intermittently with the server in order toupdate the server relative to vehicle state and activity during use ofthe vehicle by the renter. In this aspect, the renter may have turnedoff his personal communications device and may no longer be connected tothe server through the mobile application on the device.

At step 902, the server may monitor the rented vehicle via sensors thatare operational and on board the SLPF and in some cases in the vehiclebut available to the SLPF CPU via wireless or electronic connection. Inthis process, the SLPF may report periodically to the server or when theSLPF detects something that should be reported based on existingconstraints tied to vehicle use under the rental or car share agreement.It is noted herein that in one aspect, SW (118, FIG. 1) loaded on theSLPF may have data downloaded thereto from the server that may includecertain rules and constraints for a routine (with for example, periodiccheck of state of the vehicle during operation) that monitors vehiclecondition and use “locally” and reports to the server only in case of abreach of an existing rule or constraint. In another aspect, sensor datamay be uploaded to the server for analysis at the server (SW 105, FIG.1).

At step 903, it may be determined at the server or locally if thevehicle use is appropriate. Step 903 may be executed periodically orthrough “refresh” to conserve power. If at step 903 it is determinedthat vehicle use was appropriate, that is to say that the conditions ofthe agreement between the owner and renter were successfully followed bythe renter in terms of use of the vehicle, the process may move to step904 where the server may notify the owner when the rental is completeand the vehicle has been detected at a drop off location. In this state,the vehicle should be locked and the keys should be locked in the keycompartment for the next renter or for the owner.

In one aspect of the invention, an owner may use a mobile cleaningservice to go to the vehicle location and access at least a door key inorder to make the inside of the vehicle accessible to cleaning. In oneembodiment, a mechanic may be called to check on a vehicle that is inthe field and waiting for a renter. These third party service personnelmay be given the access code by the server at the time they arrivewithin detection range or in close GPS coordinates to the vehicle in thesame fashion as a renter.

After the renter has left the vehicle location and it has beendetermined that the key is present in a locked key compartment andpending any third party or owner post rental inspection and cleaning ofthe vehicle, the server may calculate the correct rental fees, includingfor example the fee associated with the calculated mileage, time of useand brokers transaction fee, at step 906. This process may considertotal mileage driven and time of use and any fees for cleaning, etc.Miles driven can be calculated by tracking GPS location of the renter'scommunication device or GPS of the SPLF 117 during vehicle use, or byconnecting a lead on the SLPF to the vehicle odometer, or alternativelyvia the wireless connection established between the SLPF and a Wi-Fihotspot installed within the OBD port of the vehicle. The server maytake payment from an online renter account and transfer the payment tothe owner's account. PayPal or other online payment service may be used.The process may end at step 909.

If it is determined at step 903 anytime during the rental period thatthe vehicle use is not appropriate, for example, not in line with whatis expected in the rental agreement between the owner and renter, theserver may attempt to contact or alert the renter's personalcommunications device at step 905, the alert informing the renter that aviolation of the agreement has occurred or is occurring. At step 907, itmay be determined whether the violation warrants any preventativeaction. For example, a rental condition may be a standing rule not totake the vehicle out of state. If a renter drives the vehicle beyondstate lines, the server may alert the renter and the renter may adjustaccordingly, perhaps having mistakenly taken the vehicle past the stateline. Therefore, the server may under certain circumstances give arenter an opportunity to correct a situation before the owner or thirdparty service is engaged, for example, notified by the server about theissue.

If no preventative action is required at step 907, the process may moveto step 904 where the server notifies the owner when the rental hasexpired or is completed. The server may then handle invoicing andpayment to the owner in step 906. The process may end for that rentalperiod or session at step 909. However, if preventative action isrequired at step 907, the server may perform a stated action at step908. A preventative action might be to contact the owner and a thirdparty such as police services, for example, if it appears that therenter is taking the vehicle for beyond the agreed boundary in therental agreement.

In one case where there may be damage to the vehicle as a result ofrenter violation of the rental agreement, the server may have authorityto retrieve damages, collect fees or insurance payments and add thosecharges to the rental payment including deducting additional chargesfrom the renter's account. Therefore, some security may exist regardingrenter payment for any mistreatment of the vehicle. For example, theserver may have unfettered access to the renter's online account used toregister for service and to pay rental fees. The access to the renter'saccount may be limited to the time the renter is using a rented vehicle.

In one aspect of the method of use, the server may have unfetteredaccess to the owner's online account and may subtract routine fees fromthe owner's account for such as cleaning, maintaining, gassing up,performing third party diagnostic inspections, or the like. It ispossible, for example, that a renter does not leave the rented vehiclewith sufficient gas in the tank. In this case, the SLPF may search forand select a third party to take the vehicle to a nearest (or mostcost-effective) station for gas or to bring gasoline to the vehicle froma mobile service vehicle. Many of these routine processes may beinitiated and brokered relative to transactions by the SLPF and theserver without requiring the owner to visit the vehicle locationregularly such as to clean and inspect the vehicle immediately after arental has ended.

In one aspect, an owner may be letting the vehicle out to more than onerenter. For example, to a first renter that will drive the vehicletoward a desired destination until that renter no longer needs thevehicle at which time a second renter may take the vehicle from there,and so on. In this case, a mobile vehicle cleaning and inspection may bepracticed at each embarking point where a new renter takes over. So inthe process it is possible that a renter locks the key compartment for anext renter to open it and retrieve the key for that renter's turn withthe vehicle and wherein the owner is not involved until after the lastrenter has used the vehicle and is finished using it.

FIG. 10 is a process flow chart 1000 depicting steps for opening andclosing the key compartment door for key insertion or removal accordingto an aspect of the present invention. At step 1001, a user maydetermine whether to access a key compartment on a SLPF in order toinsert a key or keys into the compartment or to remove a key, keys orother item from the compartment. If the user determines not to accessthe key compartment, the process may loop back until a determination ismade. If the user determines to access the key compartment, the processmay move to step 1002 where the user may connect to the SLPF via theuser's mobile communications device and SW application running thereon.Connection may mean simply walking into close range communication (suchas, for example, Bluetooth™ range) of the device with the personalcommunications device on with the mobile application running. In anotheraspect, the user may have NFC capability and may receive informationfrom SLPF when the user brings the personal communications device withinNFC range. An NFC tag or card may also be used without departing fromthe spirit and scope of the present invention.

The user may receive a message from the SLPF relative to compartmentdoor state (locked/unlocked). Presumably the key compartment door islocked whenever there is a key or FOB contained therein. However, in onecase where the owner is to place a key in the vehicle, the compartmentdoor may not be locked because no key is inside. Therefore, if a renterreceives a message that the compartment is not locked, that may meanthere is no key inside the compartment. At step 1004, the userdetermines whether the compartment door is locked. If the keycompartment door is not locked at step 1004, the process may skip overto step 1007 where the compartment is open and accessible to the user.

If the user determines that the key compartment door is locked at step1004, the user, or the server (on behalf of the user) may issue anaccess code or “unlock” command. The user may receive the access codefrom the server over a network connection between the server and theuser's personal communications device running the mobile application.The user may then issue or “send” the command to the SLPF over the shortrange wireless connection established between the SLPF and the user'spersonal communications device. In an alternative embodiment, the servermay, upon detecting that the correct user is at the location of thevehicle and is there to take the vehicle, work on the vehicle, or to puta key in the SLPF key compartment, give the access code directly fromthe server to the SLPF over a network connection between the server andthe SLPF. Of course, both functions may be practiced such as forrenters, the server unlocks the compartment and re locks thecompartment. For owners, the server sends the code to the owner devicewhere the owner may access the compartment using his personal device anda resident access code any time.

At step 1006, a key compartment release routine may be used to activatea motor to move a motor cam or aperture into a position to lock orunlock the key compartment door. For example, the access code may besent to the SLPF via short wireless range or over the data networkwherein SW (118) on the device matches the access code to data stored onthe SLPF and, if correct, sends a signal to a sensor or mechanismadapted to toggle the motor to move to the unlock position. At step1007, the compartment may be open and physically accessible to the user.

At step 1008, a user may insert a key or keys into or remove a key orkeys from the key compartment. In this process, the user may close thekey compartment door and then may issue or send a “lock” code or commandat step 1009 to ensure that the motor has been triggered and hasre-locked the compartment. Alternatively, the lock may be triggeredautomatically if a FOB is detected by sensors within the compartment.The server may also send a lock command to the SLPF on behalf of theuser. In one embodiment, the compartment automatically “locks” wheneverthe compartment door is physically closed (auto lock) where the door mayonly be unlocked by a correct access code. It is noted also that in oneaspect, an access code may be assigned to a user as long as the SLPF hasthe same information at the time of compartment access. For example, anaccess code may be digits, a password, a combination of digits andcharacters, a machine language not legible to humans, etc.

At step 1010 a lock sensor/receiver connected to a motor may activatethe motor to move into a locking position. At step 1011, the keycompartment is locked and is not accessible without issuing the correctaccess code or command. The process may end at step 1012. It isimportant to note herein that there may be sub-steps for accessing alocked key compartment that may vary in content and order depending uponthe classification of user (owner/renter) without departing from thespirit and scope of the present invention. For example, an owner mayhave a resident access code that never changes or is only updatedperiodically whereas a renter may be assigned a temporary access code toaccess a specific vehicle.

Access codes that are assigned may also be time stamped and may have alimited time to live (TTL) before they are no longer valid. For example,a renter may be issued an access code to access a SLPF key compartmentonly when the renter is at the vehicle location and the renter may berequired to immediately use the code to gain access to the keycompartment. The code may be a one-time access code assigned to therenter and to the SLPF for one-time use. If a renter becomes a frequentrenter of a same vehicle periodically or regularly such as in a commuteto a job for example, the access code given to the renter may be thesame code used by the owner as long as the SLPF recognizes the renter bythe renter's personal communications device. In one aspect, the ownermay send an access code to a “trusted” renter or “sharer” of the vehicleas well as providing it to third party “trusted” services adapted toserve specific needs such as cleaning a rental vehicle or maintaining itgas, etc. in the field. These events may be system procured or ownerprocured without departing from the spirit and scope of the presentinvention.

It will be apparent to one with skill in the art that the vehiclesharing system and apparatus of the invention may be provided using someor all of the mentioned features and components without departing fromthe spirit and scope of the present invention. It will also be apparentto the skilled artisan that the embodiments described above are specificexamples of a single broader invention that may have greater scope thanany of the singular descriptions taught. There may be many alterationsmade in the descriptions without departing from the spirit and scope ofthe present invention.

It will be apparent to the skilled person that the arrangement ofelements and functionality for the invention is described in differentembodiments in which each is exemplary of an implementation of theinvention. These exemplary descriptions do not preclude otherimplementations and use cases not described in detail. The elements andfunctions may vary, as there are a variety of ways the hardware may beimplemented and in which the software may be provided within the scopeof the invention. The invention is limited only by the breadth of theclaims below.

1. A secure vehicle sharing system comprising: a computerized serverconnected to a network and executing software from memory; acomputerized housing for securely mounting on an outside surface of avehicle, including: an instance of the software executing from memory; alocking compartment; an interface, accessible on the network, providedby the software on the server, enabling users to register by uploadingto a database, accessible to the server, at least identification of acomputerized housing, identification of a vehicle, and user profile, andenabling users to register by uploading user profile data to thedatabase, including at least user identification; a computerized mobileclient device available to at least the user, the computerized mobileclient device enabled for connection to the network, the client devicestoring and executing an instance of the software from memory; whereinthe server receives a request from the user's computerized mobile clientdevice to access a vehicle, the server accesses the database and matchesthe request to one or more available registered vehicles, the serversends results of the matching to the user's computerized mobile clientdevice and the user selects an available registered vehicle causing theserver to send to the computerized mobile client device the vehiclelocation data enabling the user to locate the selected registeredvehicle, and security data enabling the user to communicate the securitydata to the computerized housing mounted to the selected registeredvehicle causing the housing to unlock the locking compartment allowingaccess to a key or other item stored in the locking compartment.
 2. Thevehicle sharing system of claim 1 wherein the server tracks at leasttime, mileage and location of the selected registered vehicle duringoperation, via a Global Positioning System (GPS), and upon completion ofthe vehicle operation, the user replaces the key or other item in thelocking compartment, and sends notification of completion of use of theselected vehicle to the server.
 3. The system of claim 1, wherein thesecurity data sent from the server to the computerized mobile clientdevice is sent via the network and the security data communicated by thecomputerized mobile client device to the computerized housing isachieved via any one of short range or near field communication.
 4. Thesystem of claim 1, wherein the computerized housing includes arectangular opening for securing and displaying a license plate of thevehicle the computerized housing is mounted to.
 5. The system of claim1, wherein the computerized housing further comprises one or morelocking compartment sensors capable of detecting a key or other itemheld within the locking compartment.
 6. The system of claim 1, whereinthe computerized housing comprises at least an accelerometer enablingdetection of one or more of shock, vibration, sound, and movementindicating the occurrence of an event including one or more of tamperingwith the housing, vehicle burglary, unauthorized movement of thevehicle, or collision of the vehicle, and the computerized housing isenabled to send data notifying any one of the server, the user, thirdparty, or other participating user of the event occurrence.
 7. Thesystem of claim 6, wherein the computerized housing includes sensorsincluding any one or more of a digitized camera and microphone, and theoccurrence of an event causes the computerized housing to send data fromthe any one or more of digitized camera and microphone to at least anyone of the server, the user, third party, or other participating user.8. The system of claim 6, wherein the computerized housing includes anyone or more of a buzzer, speaker and light, any of which is activated byany one of the server, the user, third party, or other participatinguser in response to receipt of data regarding the occurrence of anevent.
 9. The system of claim 6, wherein the computerized housingactivates one or more of the accelerometer and key compartment sensors,locks the key compartment, and the mobile computerized client device ofthe user records a GPS location when the mobile computerized clientdevice of the user moves a distance away from the computerized housingsuch that the communication signal strength established between themobile computerized client device of the user and the computerizedhousing is diminished to a level indicating that the user has left thevehicle.
 10. The system of claim 9, wherein the computerized housing isenabled to boost the short wave communication signal to the computerizedmobile client device of the user to communicate the occurrence of anevent.
 11. A method for vehicle sharing including a computerized serverconnected to a network and executing software from memory, comprisingthe steps of: (a) providing an interface of the network enabling a userto register by uploading to a database, accessible to the server, atleast identification of a computerized housing, identification of avehicle and user profile, and enabling a user to register by uploadinguser profile data to the database, including at least useridentification; (b) mounting the computerized housing to the registeredvehicle; (c) receiving a request at the server from an instance of thesoftware executing from memory of the user's mobile computerized clientdevice, the server accessing the database and matching the request toone or more available registered vehicles within a geographical areaspecified by the user, sending data matching results to the user'smobile computerized client device; (d) receiving the data matchingresults at the computerized mobile client device of the user, enablingthe user to select an available registered vehicle, causing the serverto respond to the selection by providing location data and security datato the computerized mobile client device of the user, enabling the userto access and operate the selected vehicle; (e) sending the securitydata from the computerized mobile client device to the computerizedhousing mounted on the selected registered vehicle, the data received byan instance of the software executing from memory of the computerizedhousing and causing unlocking of a locking compartment in thecomputerized housing enabling access to a key or other item foroperating the vehicle.
 12. The method of claim 11, wherein the servertracks at least time, mileage and location of the selected registeredvehicle during operation, via a Global Positioning System (GPS), andupon completion of the vehicle operation, the user replaces the key orother item in the locking compartment, sends notification of completionto the server via the instance of software on the computerized mobileclient device and the server.
 13. The method of claim 11, wherein thesecurity data sent from the server to the computerized mobile clientdevice is sent via the network and the security data communicatedbetween the computerized mobile client device and the computerizedhousing is achieved via any one of short range or near fieldcommunication.
 14. The method of claim 11, wherein the computerizedhousing includes a rectangular opening for securing and displaying alicense plate of the vehicle the computerized housing is mounted to. 15.The method of claim 11, wherein the computerized housing furthercomprises locking compartment sensors capable of detecting a key orother item stored within the locking compartment.
 16. The method ofclaim 11, wherein the computerized housing comprises at least anaccelerometer enabling detection of one or more of shock, vibration,sound, and movement indicating the occurrence of an event including oneor more of tampering with the housing, vehicle burglary, unauthorizedmovement of the vehicle, or collision of the vehicle, and thecomputerized housing is enabled to send data notifying any one of theserver, the user, third party, or other participating user of the eventoccurrence.
 17. The method of claim 16, wherein the computerized housingincludes sensors including any one or more of a digitized camera andmicrophone, and the occurrence of an event causes the computerizedhousing to send data from the any one or more of digitized camera andmicrophone to at least any one of the server, the user, third party, orother participating user.
 18. The method of claim 16, wherein thecomputerized housing includes any one or more of a buzzer, speaker andlight, any of which is activated by any one of the server, the user,third party, or other participating user in response to receipt of dataregarding the occurrence of an event.
 19. The method of claim 11,wherein the computerized housing activates one or more of theaccelerometer and key compartment sensors, locks the key compartment,and the mobile computerized client device of the user records a GPSlocation when the mobile computerized client device of the user moves adistance away from the computerized housing such that the communicationsignal strength established between the mobile computerized clientdevice of the user and the mobile computerized security housing isdiminished to a level indicating that the user has left the vehicle. 20.The method of claim 19, wherein the computerized housing is enabled toboost the short wave communication signal to the computerized mobileclient device of the user to communicate the occurrence of an event.